


Leorio's Lost Adventures

by walkingintowaves



Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: Cussing, Gen, Gender-Neutral Pronouns for Kurapika (Hunter X Hunter), HE WILL HAVE A FULL NARRATIVE GODDAMMIT, HUnter Exam Arc for now, Hunter X Hunter (2011) - Freeform, M/M, blood tw, im gonna end up making up plots and characters because its what Leorio DESERVES, it'll get gayer the longer i drag this out, kind of in the canon?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-19
Updated: 2019-07-27
Packaged: 2020-07-08 12:26:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,271
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19869634
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/walkingintowaves/pseuds/walkingintowaves
Summary: Leorio is the "normal" one of his new friend group. He doesn't have crazy, prodigious abilities or a particularly interesting life, but when he meets Gon, Killua, and Kurapika, his world gets an overflowing dose of adventure. He knows his friends are capable of amazing things, but he's determined to be useful, too, however a normal guy like him can.





	1. A Night Aboard the Airship

**Author's Note:**

> Leorio deserves more content, and I noticed there are a bunch of moments where he's off-screen doing Leorio things. I want to see what those things are. I have no idea if there will be more to this or not; we'll see. I've never used this platform before. If i need to tag more things, please tell me.

He’s still talking. Every other examinee had spread throughout the room, using their backpacks as pillows, producing sleeping bags and blankets, and propping themselves up against the wall to get a night’s worth of well-earned shut eye. Except for Leorio and Kurapika, whom were still listening to Tonpa’s grating rambles about being alert in case of a surprise start to the Third Phase. Leorio figured the idea was reasonable enough. He really only knew that this exam was long and hard; Tonpa had taken it over thirty times. This seemed like a prime ‘respect your elders’ moment. The only thing causing a twinge of doubt in the back of his mind was that Kurapika, who Leorio had started to learn to read even though they hadn’t known each other for long, didn’t seem to be taking Tonpa’s advice seriously. Sure, they were paying close attention to Tonpa’s words, nodding along, but that little crease in their eyebrow that always shows up when they’re concentrating was absent, and their stillness was relaxed rather than radiating tense energy. It was almost unnerving how calm they were, whether they were listening to Tonpa or not, the group _had_ jumped off a cliff a few hours prior. Leorio shuddered thinking that THAT had only been the second test this exam had to offer.

Tonpa wandered off after Kurapika assured him that the pair would be vigilant. Leorio sighed and squeezed his eyes under his glasses, “It never ends! I just wanted a good night’s sleep after all that.”

Kurapika yawned, “Then, let’s find a spot.”

Leorio jerked his head down toward Kurapika, who dug through their bag looking for the blanket they’d packed. “Didn’t you hear him?” Leorio neglected to bring up that he, in fact, had only half paid attention himself. “The next phase could start at any time.”

Kurapika shook their head, pulling out the neatly folded blanket from their bag. How they’d folded it small enough to resemble a washcloth, Leorio would never know. “The coordinators of the exam wouldn’t have told us we could do as we pleased if the Third Phase was happening tonight. They would’ve told us to stand-by for further instruction. Also, this was unexpected. We weren’t supposed to meet the Chairman until the end of the exam, but because of Menchi, this was an impromptu change of plan. They’re definitely just transporting us, so we should rest while we can. You look exhausted.”

Kurapika had a wonderful way of giving Leorio whiplash. Without losing momentum in their silky words, they could calm him down and piss him off in less time than it took to order food in a restaurant. Leorio’s mouth twitched, and he opened it to fight back, but he could feel about forty glares train on him. His fellow examinees were basically screaming _Shut up, Rando! If I fail this test because I’m tired, it WILL be your fault!_ He decided he was too tired to fight Kurapika anyway, he’d been very active and bickering would just exhaust him more. He cleared his throat, “Ah, right. You have such a graceful way of telling me to shut up and sleep.” Tonpa had guaranteed that the two of them wouldn’t be able to lay down and stretch out in this room, but Leorio managed to find a spot on the wall big enough for both of them to sit. Kurapika must’ve been tired as well. They didn’t take the bait and argue back.

Leorio settled in on the cool floor, removing his blanket from his briefcase and draping it over himself. The floor was hard and not somewhere he’d choose to sleep if he had a say, and he knew he’d be sore in the morning, but he wasn’t exactly sure he cared at this point. Before he could register that Kurapika was trying to say something to him, he slipped into sleep. It had been a draining day full of enough adventure for a normal person’s entire lifetime.

If only that sweet, sweet bliss of sleep had lasted a little longer. He was usually a pretty heavy sleeper, but the nagging feeling that someone was staring at him was more than enough to pull him from the depths back to wakefulness. He breathed deeply and relaxed his muscles to keep up the appearance of sleep. _There’s no one looking at you, dumbass, just take a chill pill and-_ a shoe squeaked on the floor, out of place in a room filled only with quiet breathing and the occasional snore. He opened his eyes enough to be able to see through his eyelashes. Tonpa again? Was he checking to see if they’d taken his advice? Well, that’s not shady at all. _Why would- why is there weight on my shoulder?_

He opened his eyes all the way and could see blonde tufts out of his peripherals. They smelled like sandalwood and cinnamon. He bit the inside of his cheek. Why did Kurapika have to be distracting when Leorio had a suspicious Tonpa to investigate? _I will do something useful._ He slowly shifted away from Kurapika, keeping them propped up with his hands in his stead. His briefcase kept Kurapika from hitting floor. They must’ve been more exhausted than they seemed. No matter how gentle Leorio was trying to be, keeping Kurapika propped while moving his suitcase had resulted in some jostling, and Kurapika hadn’t even twitched in their sleep.

Leorio stepped over the people scattered on the floor to the door and peeked out into the hallway. _Nothing._ He needed to haul ass to catch up, but which way? What would Kurapika suggest in a situation like this? _If he was checking on us, and he knew we could rest the whole time, it’s possible that he returned to wherever he’d been resting for the night since his trap didn’t work._ Leorio edited out the teasing that would probably accompany the statement. He went from room to room where the examinees were sleeping, scanning the blanket mounds for Tonpa’s lying, scruffy face. A whole lot of sleeping forms, a whole lot less of a sleeping Tonpa. _I bet Gon could sniff him out if I asked._ No, he’d decided to do this on his own. Plus, he hadn’t seen Gon or Killua in any of the rooms either. Not too surprising, those two were probably causing chaos somewhere else on board. He hoped they were sleeping, but he didn’t live in a fantasy world where that was actually happening.

_Back to the task at hand._ If Tonpa wasn’t asleep, then he was on this ship somewhere, and it couldn’t be that big. They’d run into each other eventually if he wandered around. He needed to be careful. He needed to be… stealthy. He tiptoed along the hallway on the balls of his feet. A door with a window came up on his right, and he threw himself against the wall next to it. He stretched out from his cover, glanced through the window, and found some very suspicious looking mops with their backs turned to him. He peeled himself off the wall. _Stupid and childish._ Walking smoothly through the halls; glancing down all the joined hallways along the way. Nonchalant. Casual. Cool. He’s just a tired guy looking for the bathroom, if anyone asked anyway.

When he’d almost circled the entire airship and was about to give up to return to a certain sleeping blonde, muttered voices caught his attention down one of the halls he was passing. He could only hear the white noise of their speech from his current spot, so he turned down the hall, trying to keep his dress shoes from squeaking on the linoleum flooring. It probably wouldn’t go too well if they caught him listening, even if it wasn’t Tonpa. The voices became more distinct the closer he got to the intersection of two hallways.

“… already asleep. I couldn’t find the small brat traveling with them either.” _Definitely Tonpa. Did he just call Gon a brat?_

A voice Leorio didn’t recognize replied. “We’re not even to the Third Phase yet. You have time. We know you’re persistent enough to get what you want.”

Tonpa groaned, “The rookies this year are crazy. That white-haired kid drank my laxatives and came back for more. He claimed to be immune to poisons.” _Tonpa couldn’t be talking about Killua. There’s no way that kid is immune to poison. And more importantly, that orange juice stuff was full of LAXATIVES??_

“You’ve gotta be kidding. That kid’s like eight. He was pulling a prank on you. You’re losing your touch.”

“I’m not, I’m telling you; it’s the rookies! They’re all off. I don’t even want to go near that ninja guy or Pinhead.”

A grunt of approval from a voice Leorio hadn’t heard yet, but the same voice that had been talking continued the conversation, “Now, those are understandable. Not worth dying to get close to them.”

Tonpa laughed, “You can say that again. Well, I’ll keep it up. Good luck on the next phase. Maybe old Tonpa will go the full way this time.”

The voice laughed with him, “The day Tonpa passes the Hunter Exam is the day I become the Queen.” Leorio slinked away from intersection back to the route he’d been on before his enlightening detour. _That damn prick was intentionally trying to make the exam harder for us! Oh, I knew it all along. He’s shifty! I need to tell Kurapika that-_ Leorio skidded to a stop. His eyes widened as he focused back in on his surroundings rather than indulging in his irritated thoughts. Two men lie on the ground in front of him, blood dripping from deep wounds in their necks. Leorio scrambled forward, pressing two fingers into the soft spot in the closest man’s neck. _Nothing. Shit!_ He repeated the move on the other man, breath hitching when he felt a faint thumping against his fingertips. Of all the times to have left his briefcase somewhere else.

He slid off his shoe, then sock, and held the sock to the wound. Keeping pressure and hoping to anything listening that it would start to clot. He needed to get help. There had to be trained doctors with more sophisticated equipment on board this ship. He’d passed an office room when he’d been wandering, but he didn’t want to leave this guy here alone in the meantime. Maybe Tonpa and those other two were still close…? As little as he wanted to see Tonpa, anyone was good enough right now. Leorio took a deep breath and yelled, “Help! Anyone I need a doctor here as soon as possible! A man’s been murdered!” A few seconds passed. _Louder._ “Please, this is a bad situation. I need help!” He waited. _Shit… SHIT. No one is coming. I might have to leave him here. I can tie it off, but that would cut off whatever oxygen he’s getting and probably kill him faster than the blood loss is. But he’s going to die for sure if I don’t do something other than sit here with my sock pressed to his neck. It might have to do._ He slipped the dangling part of the sock under his neck and tried to tie it off while keeping the pressure steady.

“…holy shit.” He lost the sock in his hand when a familiar voice reached his ears. He looked over his shoulder and saw two guys with wide eyes taking a few steps away from him. They wore matching beanies, face paint, and different solid colored turtlenecks. These had to be the guys who’d been talking to Tonpa. They didn’t move to help.

“Do you know where the authority figures on this ship are?” Leorio turned back to the man on the ground, focusing on keeping the pressure on the wound. His sock couldn’t have been doing much anymore since it was soaked in blood, but he didn’t want to risk moving it. The silence ticked his nerve. “Do you?”

The shorter one stammered, “Yes, yes, we do. I’ll go get someone.” Leorio heard the man’s footsteps echoing in the eerie silence of the hall, moving away from them.

He took a deep breath. “Give me a new cloth. This one is too soaked.” Ruffling of clothes accompanied some short grunts of trying to keep balance, and a few seconds later, another sock dangled next to him. He swiftly replaced his makeshift bandage. “Hey, if you can hear me, just know I’m doing everything I can to keep you going, so you got to give it your all too, okay? You can do this, and when you do, you’re gonna look at life and be so happy that you have it. You’re gonna tell your family that you love them and they’re gonna do the same. It’s going to be amazing, so hang in there until we can get you patched up, okay?” He could hear the tall man shifting uncomfortably beside him, and the footsteps now approaching from down the hall, but he kept talking, “Everything’s gonna be okay. We’re gonna get you patched up, and you’re gonna be back on your feet in no time. Don’t worry, relax, and focus on keeping that heart pumping.” A hand pressed into Leorio’s shoulder, pushing him away from the scene.

“Sir, we’re here to take over.” Leorio kept the pressure until a few EMTs had successfully moved him out of the way and started more elaborate first aid to get the man ready to move. “Can you tell us what happened, sir?”

Leorio took a breath and cleared his throat, “I, uh, got up to find the bathroom and found them instead. I’m studying to be a doctor, so I tried to help. I… I tried to…”

“You did what you could, sir. Thank you, and please return to the waiting area with the other examinees.” Leorio stood rooted to the spot. _Leave? But no one’s here for him._ “Sir, please. We don’t want the rest of the examinees to become suspicious and crowd around. Please, return to the waiting rooms and get some rest.”

“The… the bathrooms first. Where are they?”

“We can take you.” It was the short man with the beanie again. Leorio simply nodded and was escorted away from the pools of blood on the floor of the airship. The two men leading him said nothing, but he could feel them glancing back at him every now and again. How far away could a bathroom be?

They stopped outside the door and finally turned toward him. The one shorter than him swallowed. “You’re one of the rookies, right?”

Leorio shrugged. He was tired.

“Yeah, we thought so. Uh, anyway just, that was real cool of you. Good luck in the exam. Don’t… think you can do that for everyone.” He shoved his hands into his pockets and walked around him, followed by the taller man. He didn’t care enough to talk back. _Fuck you. I WILL do this for everyone._ He entered the restroom and scrubbed the blood off of his hands. It swirled in the sink, and he continued scrubbing long after the stream had turned from red to clear. He sighed and cupped some of it to his face. After turning off the water, he gazed into his eyes in the mirror and poked his reflection with his finger, maintaining eye contact with himself.

“You are going to be doing this for a living. Get used to it. Get used to it now or give up.” He slapped his cheeks and exited the bathroom. A blister was forming where his shoe rubbed against his ankle without his sock, but he could worry about getting a sock out of his briefcase after he crashed for a while. Nothing in the waiting room had changed. In fact, it looked as though it was a painting, frozen in time even though so much had gone on right outside the door. He tiptoed back over to his spot on the wall. Kurapika was basically a statue. They hadn’t moved even a finger since Leorio had left. He slid back into place, not even trying to be as stealthy as when he’d left. Kurapika showed no signs of life, besides light breathing of course. Leorio rested their head back on his shoulder; it’s not like it was that big of a deal. Besides, Kurapika had put it there in the first place. He closed his eyes and watched the fuzz sparkle against the black backs of his eyelids, and then he drifted off to sleep.

“Leorio, get up. The airship is landing.” He stirred slowly, rubbing his eyes and fumbling around aimlessly for his glasses. A clear ‘ahem’ prompted Leorio blink the crud out of his eyes. Kurapika held his glasses out to him. He muttered a short thanks and yawned. “You don’t appear to have slept as much as you needed.” _It was a long night._

Leorio grumbled, “Yeah, well, Tonpa made sure of that.” The idle morning chatter around the room was clearer now. It was a welcome hum compared to the silence of the night before.

Kurapika huffed, “I thought I told you that we could rest without worry.”

Leorio grunted, “I tried but then he was staring at us, and it woke me up. So, I followed him and heard him say that he’d put laxatives in the orange juice he gave us, and he called Gon a brat. So, it was a little hard to sleep.”

Kurapika paused. “The strange taste that Gon detected… you’re sure you heard him correctly, Leorio?”

“No! I’m not sure at all, I was way too far away, and – of course, I’m sure, Kurapika, what do ya think I am?” Leorio scratched his back and searched through his briefcase for a replacement sock.

Kurapika’s tone went icy cold, “It’s not as though I think you are stupid, Leorio, and I don’t take kindly to the fact that you’re implying that. But I will look past it considering your long night. I believe you, but there’s no need for rash action. Let’s try to keep a wide berth from him and act friendly if he confronts us. It will be easier to avoid a fight if we pretend to go along with his tricks, especially if they’re as half-baked as him trying to keep us awake.”

Their tone had softened by the end of their explanation, and Leorio was grateful for that. He really wasn’t in the mood to argue right now, especially since they were about to start the Third Phase. Leorio finished putting on his spare sock. “What about Gon? Have you seen him yet?”

Kurapika let a small grin tug on their lips, “He was the one that woke me up. He and Killua just went to raid the kitchen again. They have too much energy for this early in the morning.”

Worries about the men from the night before flooded his brain. He should go check if they made it out okay. But, how could he not at least smile after hearing that? Hearing that Gon was having a fun time harassing the chefs was all he needed to be rejuvenated. It was much more efficient than coffee. “Well, good. They’ll need it to pass this test. Speaking of, let’s go kick the Third Phase’s ass.” He'd be able to find the infirmary on the way to the bathroom. 

Kurapika hummed in contented agreement, “Right, lets.”


	2. A Week on Zevil Island

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Right after escaping the clown man, Leorio and Kurapika's newly formed alliance pans out over a week wandering Zevil Island. Not a lot of adventure occurs, unless you consider bonding with a friend adventure.

As soon as they were out of sight they frantically rushed to escape. Well, Leorio was frantic. Branches scraped his face and hands, and the soft dirt grabbed the soles of his shoes trying to slow him down. His fear overpowered its grip. Kurapika didn’t seem to be having the same troubles Leorio was. They gracefully moved ahead of him, jumping fallen trees and ducking lower branches with ease. Leorio didn’t need to ask how far away they needed to get or how long they needed to run. The answer was obvious, even to him. _We’re running until we physically can’t – whether that’s because we collapse or because we hit the ocean, doesn’t matter._ Moments after they started running, waves upon waves of anxiety crashed over him. It was like a beast was right behind him, getting closer every second. It was hungry and wouldn’t show them mercy. They managed to run faster than before.

Leorio only stopped when black dots flashed across his vision and his loud wheezing sent a small rabbit scurrying away from him. He dropped to his knees and slammed his hands on the ground; he breathed, focusing on calming down. The dread crawling up their backs had fallen out of range a few miles ago, but they had continued running in spite of that. He could hear Kurapika breathing quickly, but without the same distress and collapsing Leorio had partaken in. _Wow, I need to hit the gym. An entire ice pick is in my side right now, but Kurapika sounds like they just went for a refreshing jog._ They stood with their back pressed into a tree. He thought they were staring at him for a few seconds before he glanced up far enough to see their eyes squeezed closed.

When Leorio had stopped gasping like a fish and was sixty percent less worried he was going to pass out, he sat on the dirt, leaning against the nearest tree across from Kurapika. “I… can’t believe that worked.”

“Well, it worked only well enough to keep us alive for now. We have to get you three points now instead of two… I apologize.” Their voice cascaded evenly, as if they hadn’t just scrambled at least halfway across an island in fifteen minutes. Leorio admitted he was impressed, decided he _was_ getting a gym membership as soon as possible, and filed the fact that Kurapika’s eyes were still closed and that their hands were trembling into the back of his mind for later.

“Don’t do that. You saved our asses back there. Actually, that’s twice today you’ve done that. Though this time was admittedly more impressive,” he cleared his throat, “So, uh, thanks.”

Kurapika brought their hand up to their eyelids and applied light pressure, as if they had a headache. Leorio wouldn’t blame them if they did. It’d been a long day. “A genuine expression of gratitude? I really must have impressed you, Leorio, to not get a sarcastic comment about chickening out of a fight again.”

Leorio shook his head and let his gaze settle on an extremely interesting-looking blade of grass. “I don’t think I have the energy to be sarcastic right now.” He could if he really tried though. Should he bring it up? “Besides, you didn’t chicken out. You were really going to fight him, weren’t you?”

A slight hesitation broke up the flow of the conversation. Kurapika sat down against their tree and finally opened their eyes. If Leorio looked up to confirm what he thought he saw, he was pretty sure he’d find that the edges of Kurapika’s irises were glowing a very beautiful, and terrifying, red. He opted to continue examining the crushed blade of grass. Kurapika decided to respond, “… Yes. I would have.”

Leorio visibly shuddered at the thought of trying to fight that bastard again. “Weren’t you the one telling me to run a few days ago?” _Keep it light._

Kurapika let a more-than-slightly exasperated sigh from their lips, immediately making Leorio question whether he should’ve continued the conversation at all. “Yes, but this was different. Here he would’ve merely chased us and killed us if we tried to escape and didn’t match his standards. However, by offering the gamble, I created more interest in not only the situation, but in us. He wouldn’t want us dead if he was interested; he proved that much in the First Phase.” Kurapika paused, “You were standing with me as well. Don’t act like my resolve was especially heroic.”

Leorio looked up to let loose a very witty comeback. That little crease in Kurapika’s eyebrow sank deeper than normal, and their jaw tightened in an emotion that Leorio couldn’t think of how to describe. It could be concentration, anger, or maybe embarrassment? _Tchh, Kurapika embarrassed_. The banter died on his tongue. “We should find somewhere safe to sleep. We’ve been wandering all day. It won’t do us any good to be worn out.”

Kurapika also ignored the immediate urge to argue. “You’re right. We should sleep in shifts in case someone finds us.”

The two found a tree with a hollowed-out center nearby. It wasn’t a very big space to sleep in, especially considering Leorio was much taller than Kurapika, but they figured they could fit if only one of them slept at a time. There were bushes next to it for the other to keep vigil in. Kurapika offered to take first watch, and no matter Leorio’s protests, they refused to budge. It apparently didn’t matter to them that Leorio was questioning the amount of sleep they’d gotten in the two days since the Fourth Phase had started. As much as Leorio wanted to keep arguing, Kurapika was a stubborn person, and he was likely to fall asleep before Kurapika yielded. He curled up uncomfortably into the hole in the tree, at least thankful for the feeling of safety walls brought. He fell into sleep, knowing he would watch over Kurapika sleeping soon.

* * *

It was light when a slim hand rested on his shoulder. “Leorio. We need to get moving.”

Leorio rolled out of the hole, his leg getting caught on the side of the tree side and making him flop unceremoniously onto the ground outside. He was a morning person but starting the morning sore after sleeping curled up inside a tree for several hours was a mood killer. He scowled up from the ground, glaring pointedly at the bags growing under Kurapika’s eyes. “You didn’t wake me up once. How’s that a smart move for the exam?”

Kurapika scoffed, “I know how much rest I require, Leorio, and it’s not me who has yet to collect my needed points.”

Leorio scrambled to his feet, leaning down over Kurapika. “I, at least, didn’t use my friend as bait to get mine.”  
“Someone paying better attention wouldn’t have let themselves be set up as bait.”

Leorio stomped his foot. “That doesn’t have anything to do with the bags under your eyes or the fact that you haven’t slept.”

“Congratulations, Leorio, you noticed I was changing the subject, that’s a good example of vigilance. Be sure to keep that up.”

Leorio’s face scrunched up, but rather than continue the banter, Leorio took a breath to calm his rising temper. “Right. Just know the next time we take a break you’re at least taking a nap. No arguments.”

“Yes, of course, Doctor.” Leorio ignored that his heart skipped a beat.

The next two days, unfortunately, went on pretty uneventfully. They wandered around Zevil Island, keeping an eye out for any threats, clues to finding Ponzu, or Gon, mostly because they wanted to see him, partly because they wanted to know how he was fairing, and just a tad because finding Ponzu would be right up Gon’s alley. Kurapika gathered berries, nuts, and water, and Leorio tried to catch small animals or fish for them to cook. They chatted as they wandered, but for fear of missing something or being overheard, remained surprisingly quiet a majority of their time. The conversations they did have panned out in the fun-loving game they’d had going for a bit. Leorio made a comment, Kurapika, in every way but directly, called him stupid, they threatened to end each other, and Kurapika offered him one of the berries they’d been sharing the whole time. Leorio absently realized that after similar conversations a few weeks prior he most definitely would’ve thrown a punch or two Kurapika’s way. He’d threatened to toss this person over the side of a ship in the middle of a huge storm like a month ago. But even though they were in the middle of a deadly exam, the mood was relatively positive. Kurapika was a comfortable presence to be around, once he’d gotten used to their prickly outer layer.

Whenever Kurapika finally did sleep, it was either like the dead or like someone kept shaking them. Corpse Kurapika tended to find wherever Leorio was and lean against him, then not move another inch for several hours. Leorio didn’t mind that they were leeching warmth from him; he couldn’t let his friend get cold after all they’d done for him. Even his anxious finger-tapping didn’t wake up the other when they were like this. The other side of the spectrum was when it seemed like every movement of air would wake them up. Every ten minutes or so, Kurapika would shift in their sleep before their eyes snapped open, and their body would go rigid. Leorio told them they had more time to sleep and should continue resting. Any sleep, even restless sleep, would be good for them, and if they ever wanted to discuss what was waking them up over and over, well, Leorio was there. They never did.

It was the night of the fifth day that Leorio had a dream of his own. He takes a step that echoes into the emptiness surrounding him, and the force ricochets and reverberates up his body. Every move causes him excruciating pain, but Pietro is right there, barely thirty feet ahead of him. He can make it. He has more knowledge this time; he can at least ease his friend’s suffering. He takes a few more steps, the vibrations ripple through him, but he can take it. He has to take it. But it slows him down, and he struggles to get there. Pietro’s pulse is already too weak; he has no tools. He’s lost the chance he had.

Leorio shot straight up from the ground, sweat covering his forehead and sticking his shirt uncomfortably to his chest. Kurapika glanced his way, shifting nothing but their gaze. Leorio pressed two hands to his face, pressing into his eyes. _I have to pass this exam._ Kurapika licked their lips, “Do you need water?”

Leorio breathed out the gathering stress in his core before trying to speak. _Take the moment of vulnerability in stride._ “Please.”

The lukewarm presence of his friend came to rest beside him, their long-sleeve shirt brushing against Leorio’s suit pants. A hand rested on his wrist, and he didn’t know why he was surprised to find that it was slightly calloused. Their hand removed Leorio’s from his face. Kurapika gently wrapped Leorio’s fingers around the bottle of water and didn’t release until they were sure Leorio wouldn’t drop it. The cool water quenched his dry mouth and grounded him back to the world again. He couldn’t do anything for Pietro, but there were others that he could and would help. He just had to get there.

Kurapika hadn’t moved away but resumed watching the trees around them, giving Leorio as much privacy as they could give someone whose thigh was less than an inch from theirs. Leorio took another deep breath and set the water down next to him. He watched his friend scanning the trees. “Thank you.”

They turned back to him then, feeling welcomed back into the moment. “Do you want a listener?”

Leorio swallowed and considered the offer. _What could the harm be?_ “It was just my friend. I didn’t get there in time to help him.”

A soft hum emanated from Kurapika’s throat. “Leorio, I know how it hurts, not having been able to help your friend. However, your goal is a very noble one. You are very close to making it a reality, and I have no doubts that you will. I haven’t known you for all too long, but I can tell how much you truly deserve to achieve success. Your heart is filled with a compassion that your hands carry out. Your friend would be proud of that.”

_I will not cry_. “I have to pass this exam. We have no idea where Ponzu could be at all, and there’s only two days left.”

“I have an idea. We’ve covered most of the inner rings of the island, so she has to be closer to the outskirts. As she is a chemical-based fighter and we haven’t seen any sign of her in the open, she has most likely found an enclosed space that can fill the area with her poisons. She is either in the enclosed space as well, using herself as bait, or somewhere near the enclosed space in order to set off her trap. We can broaden our search from a specific person to an enclosed space such as a cave or particularly tight grotto.”

Leorio frowned, “Wouldn’t we need to re-search the middle of the island?”

Kurapika shook their head, “There’s only two days left to this phase. Even if she was set up in the center of the island, it would make more sense to move her trap closer to the site of the exit.”

“Not all the way to it though. Because her badge can still get stolen if she still has it.”

“Precisely,” Kurapika cleared their throat, watching Leorio’s brain work as he tried to figure out if they had enough time to search all the caves and tight places on the island, “Are you feeling any better?”

Leorio had completely forgotten about his dream. Distractions had always helped him calm down. He didn't know how long it had taken Kurapika to figure that out. “Oh, yeah. We at least have a plan. I’m not going to give up that easily.”

A small smile flit across Kurapika’s lips. “Good. You still have time to rest. I would take advantage of that.”

Leorio nodded and leaned back down onto the ground, closing his eyes. He didn’t feel Kurapika move away before he fell asleep, and when Kurapika woke him later, he was pretty sure they were sitting in the exact same position and place as the last time he’d seen them. Their ability to remain extremely still for long periods was almost scary.

The two searched the island diligently. They took few breaks for the day, scanning as much area as possible to try to find the elusive Ponzu. A few times Kurapika found traces of a trap, but none of them panned out. Kurapika leaned their face down towards an outcropping in some rocks a few hours after the two had resumed their search for the day. They hadn’t seen anything resembling a trap on the outside, but they proceeded with caution. When Kurapika stepped on a root, Leorio noticed it indent. He grabbed Kurapika around the waist and jerked them away in an upward motion, lifting them off the ground for a short time. Something resembling a bear trap snapped where Kurapika’s foot had just been. Their eyes widened, and they rested a hand on Leorio’s arms, still wrapped around their waist. How are they always so cold? Leorio released his held breath as he silently cursed the trap and Kurapika’s weirdly cold body.

“Maybe I do require more rest than I’m getting, Leorio. Remind me that once this phase is over?”

Leorio looked down at Kurapika’s hand and quickly retracted his own. “Absolutely. Doctor’s orders.” He leaned to grab the briefcase he’d haphazardly discarded in favor of Kurapika’s waist. It hadn’t even been worth it. All that the outcropping hid was a few days’ worth of food - an annoying reminder that there were other people on this island, and they were all very good at hiding from Leorio. He took some of the jerky hidden there just to spite them. Kurapika explained that they didn’t think it would be Ponzu’s stash, as it would make more sense for her in particular to keep food on her, so she could maintain her vigil over her trap. They didn’t mention that Leorio had just saved them without a second thought from losing a limb and most likely bleeding out. Kurapika decided to find a way to thank him properly. Finding Ponzu would be the best they could offer at this point, but they were starting to have their doubts on the probability of that. Every second they got closer to the time limit, Leorio needed three more points, and the pair hadn’t seen anyone for four days.

“We haven’t seen anyone for four days!” Leorio whined, and Kurapika momentarily wondered if he was psychic. “Let’s check close to the exit. If she has her points, she’s probably getting eager to leave right? She’s probably closer to the goal.” Kurapika couldn’t make it easy for him and admit that that was the most probable solution. More importantly, if Gon had a similar line of thought, and they found the boy close to the exit, the group might really have a chance at finding Ponzu. So, they teased him about how she was more likely to be attacked if she did that before conceding to him. Kurapika followed Leorio as they made their way back to where their journey had started six days earlier. They had only hours to find Ponzu for Leorio to pass. As anxiety welled up inside of Leorio, Kurapika let their hopes get up that their hunch would be correct. They had a feeling that this phase of the Hunter Exam wouldn’t be the last for their new group of friends.


End file.
